Getting the Flow of Solomon’s best Love Poem
“Solomon’s Song of Songs” is the best love poem Solomon wrote. Intended to give us a right and sensible idea of what love is. In this section I will summarize the whole poem in one simple sentence then progress to larger summarizations.
Love arousing in courtship, love conceived in proposal, love laboring in union, love giving birth to a new life in Christ Solomon.
Two become one in love. Two seemingly complete opposites become one. A Messiah and his first wife, Naamah, become one because of the essence nature and Source of love. From beginning to end God works to unify the souls of a holy Jew and Gentile. Through out the course of their courtship, engagement and marriage love brought them closer to the point where they acted harmoniously as one.
Love drawing them closer in Courtship
At Solomon’s first anointing she feels loved by her king and its better than wine, which makes her want a closer relationship with him in marriage. She is happy thinking about who he is, what he is like and what he will do so she lets him know it. She was a Gentile and all the other holy virgins desired him as well, she concludes it was right for them to desire him. The king took her to his chambers where everyone around praised the king and his love. She see’s their praise and delight in him as virtuous and right. Yet they look at her as an outcast prostitute sinner that ought not to be with a holy king of Israel. Humbly she asks them not to judge her because she is fit to be his wife with love to YHWH in her heart. She is sorry for her past sinful life and desires to be part of their fellowship, so he tells her where to find him. In her pursuit of him she is beautiful for her fearless and powerful expressions of love so he praises her for them. Then he promises her expensive gifts made by all. Then in a lap of luxury outdoors they have sweet and precious communion (sincerely talking about what both delight in about each other) which strengthens the bond. He takes her to the banquet hall where there is a banner over her with LOVE written on it! She grows faint with love, so he supports her as she swoons in his arms. The daughters of Jerusalem are asked to solemnly swear to not arouse or awaken feelings of love before the proper time.
His Wisdom and Love drawing her closer in his proposal
After a time away from each other he proposes to her but there are some issues. He calls her closer with sweet words hoping to get her to talk to him. He assures her she is safe and can talk to him for he loves to hear her sweet voice and see her lovely face. She lets him know she wants him to get rid of those things keeping them from getting closer, therefore he gives himself to her, then she gives herself to him. While he shepherds his flock among the lilies she asks her beloved to be wise and swift in coming closer to her until day breaks and shadow flee.
Love drawing them closer in engagement
he promises himself to her as her fox catching beloved, and she promises herself to him, she expresses her love to him and jealousy for an even closer relationship until there is only light and no more darkness. Light appearing and darkness fading are metaphors for their union of hearts getting stricter and them acting more like they are one.
Apart and sensing separation the nights away from him gets unbearable, she does all she can to find him, finds him and won’t let go until she is at a place where she feels his love.
Love drawing them closer on their wedding day
Their wedding is a city wide affair. The whole city is excited and have done their part in preparation for the Messiah, Solomon and his first wife Naamah to be married. Also, it it the day of his second crowning. Psalm 45 gives us some indication as to more of the cultural things going on plus how the bride looked in her chamber. Making everything official strengthens the bond all the more. Now they are one positionally and time to consummate the marriage. Both are virgins and it starts off with her half naked and her praises her inner and outer beauty making her feel loved. He wants them both to go to various high emotional experiences together. She looks his way and one glance of her eye his direction totally ravishes his heart. He praises her purity all the while she wants to please him no matter where they are. They go to the various emotional highs together and he is more than satisfied. They both drank their fill of love in the most intimate time of bonding thus far!
Love drawing them closer in marriage
This section starts of with them physically separated. She has the door locked has cleaned her feet and got ready for bed and was comfortably in bed when he knocked, sweetly calls her to open the door for him. She is in a lazy comfortable selfish disposition and opens the door to late. Her heart sinks at his departure. She does all she thinks she knows to find him but can’t. She looks and things get worse. Then just when she thought things would get better they even got worse. Fellow children of God help her out while she is painfully feeling lovesick from being separated from her beloved and having her hope deferred. She tells God’s children about what made her beloved special above all the other husbands. Then remembers their rondezous point in the garden. She goes there in love and humility and more beautiful than before so he praises her from head to toe. All the other queens praise her because she is a bright shining light to all during both the day and night. As queen she goes about her business helping King Solomon make peace. She does so well they nickname her Shulammite which means “woman of peace”. All this time she got even more beautiful inside with greater love in her heart so her husband gives her the greatest and longest praise of the whole book and they make love for the second time in the Love Song.
By now she has learned to be selfless and answer his every call and she learns that all he wants of her is her good and happiness no matter what, therefore she says, “I am his and his desire is for me.” Where before she doubted his love and has selfishness in not answering his loving and sweet call soon enough.
They get up early to go together to the vineyards where she shares her feelings of love with him, both new and old thoughts and feelings. She shared with him times when she was on fire for him from the beginning of their relationship til now that bonded them together. They are in public and she really wants to kiss him but it wouldn’t be appropriate. She continues on with thoughts of how she might show love to him and the feelings make her physically weak so he holds her in his arms.
The holy daughters of Jerusalem are warned again to not arouse or awaken love until the proper time. Naamah and Solomon head to the wilderness and on their way back she is leaning on him and remembering some of the most intimate times of love. A fire like never before is burning in her heart as she senses the closest union with him ever!! They are one and acting as one due to the superlative power and Source of their love. In the climax and key verse of the whole poem she says,
“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is strong as death. It’s jealousy grow more intense as Sheol. Love flames like fire, the very flame of YHWH. Many waters could not quench love and rivers can not over flow it. If someone were to give their whole household for love the offer would be utterly scorned.” Solomon’s Song of Songs 8:6-7
Family members come to ask her advice for helping a younger girl stay pure. She gives Solomon what is due to him. Many people want to hear what the lovers in the gardens have to say about love.
The best love Song Solomon wrote ends with his wife on fire for her husband wanting him to be wise and draw her even closer still!!
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